Ok so this is week two of tracking! I have to say, to those of you who text me and told me how excited for me you are and how encouraged you were by my last post...thank you! It really means a lot to know there are people out there reading this and encouraging me like that! You are greatly appreciated!
Now on to this week! This week was great in some areas, good in others, and poor in a particular one. Let's start with the bad because I need to get it out and let's be honest....I need to be encouraged after I am discouraged. So here it is....reading the Word this week was not very good. I was doing really good with staying consistent and then this week just went downhill. Crazy thing is....I could see how much it affected my attitude too! My attitude at work, my thoughts towards other people, and I always see how when I'm not in the Word my focus tends to be more on myself. So this week is going to be different. I am super thankful for the accountability here on this blog because I know that this next week I am going to be sharing how I did the previous week! So here is the plan for that...I am going to set aside a specific time to just spend time in the Word and in prayer. As weird as this sounds....I got this prayer journal app that is wonderful! It's called PrayerNotes. I put it on my iPad and I'm able to list people and particular prayer requests for that person. I love it! So...there is the plan for next week to tackle being more disciplined in the Word.
Now for the great area! I paid off another credit card this week!! WHOO HOO!!!!! That is two down and two to go! I am so excited because I see the end! I have developed a plan to get my next two paid off by the end of April!! So great! Then I will still have the month of May at my second job to save up some money for house repairs or to pay off my car! I can't even tell you excited I am by this! And let me just tell you about my parents. They have been so supportive and encouraging through all of this. They have given me great advice and guidance in how to go about tackling this debt....LOVE THEM! I don't know about y'all but I don't know what I would do without them. They have made such an impact in my life. I find that as I am getting older I am really enjoying the times that I just get to hang out with them. A couple weeks ago I went back to Hutch and just spent Saturday night eating dinner with them and watching the WSU basketball game....doesn't seem exciting but it was just nice getting to spend time with them. Ok...enough rambling about the rents.
Now for the good news....another weight loss this week....and it was a little more than last week! It isn't much more due to poor eating the week before....but a loss is still a loss so I am going to choose to be excited about this. I will place my tracking chart below this post. My goal for better weight and inch loss this next week is to be more faithful to do T25, eat better, and get outside more with Riggins. Speaking of getting outside more with Riggins, yesterday we ran a mile in 11 min and 15 seconds. Today we ran a mile in 10 min and 25 seconds!!!! We shaved almost a whole minute off my mile time! Things like this are what keep me wanting to work out and work hard. So we will just have to wait and see what next week brings as far as inches and weight loss!
Now....for those of you that are around me often, you probably heard this traumatic story earlier this week. For those of you who don't....get ready for some comical relief. Last Thursday I was getting ready to go run some errands and decided to take my dog Riggins with me. It was a rainy cold morning so I decided to stop by Starbucks. As I am waiting in the drive-thru with for my drink, my dog all of a sudden jumps into the front seat with me and starts trying to get in my lap. This was so odd to me until I actually looked at him. He was standing in his POOP STANCE!!!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! My dog is trying to poop on me! Of course, I start to panic and push him off of me and thankfully I did because right after I get him off of me....he starts pooping in the car...in the front seat! Not in the back where he had tons of room and was a away from me, but in the FRONT SEAT! I can't even tell you what is going through my mind at this point because I couldn't even believe that what was happening was really happening! My dog not only just pooped in my car....but was trying to poop on me! So...the cars ahead of me start pulling forward so I grab ahold of his collar because of course he has stepped in the poop and I don't want him jumping in the back seat and spreading it all over my car. I can't even imagine what the Starbucks lady is thinking when I pull up because I am holding my dog and it smells so bad because...its fresh poop. So my plan of running errands turned into driving back home with one hand on the wheel, one hand holding my dog, windows down, and doing all of this in the cold rain. At the time....it was not funny. But after the twenty minutes of cloroxing my car and cleaning up my dog....I started to appreciate the humor in the situation. I called my mom to tell her what just happened and found myself crying I was laughing so hard. I mean...my dog has already peed on my while I was lying in bed and now he just tried to poop on me! What's next? Is he going to throw up on me too? Is there any other form of marking his territory that he can do to me?! Maybe I should just look at it as he loves me so much he just wants everyone to know that I am his mom and no one elses....hahahahahah. Even though he does stuff like this....I still love him! I'm sure you people with pets and children can understand!
Well I hope you got some enjoyment out of that! Below is my weight loss inch loss progress! Have a great week!
|
Initial
Weight
|
Bust
(inches)
|
Waist
(inches)
|
Hips
(inches)
|
Right
Thigh
(inches)
|
Right
Arm
(inches)
|
Starting
|
244
|
45
|
40
|
51
|
32
|
15
|
Week
1
|
243.8
|
45
|
38.5
|
50
|
31
|
14.5
|
Week
2
|
243.3
|
44
|
38
|
50
|
31
|
14.5
|
Difference
from Starting
|
-.7
|
-1.0
|
-2.0
|
-1.0
|
-1.0
|
-0.5
|
Well hello there! I realize its been a couple weeks since my last post but there is a reason for this. I was in debates about whether I really wanted to do what I'm about to do in this post or not. I have decided....I do. Let me start by catching up on how my new years resolutions are going.
First, becoming spiritually fit. This has been slowly improving. In fact, my attitude about God's faithfulness has GREATLY improved. Along with being in the Word. I still struggle in my prayer life but I am coming up with a plan to improve in that area. In fact, yesterday I got to have an incredible conversation with a woman that really touched my heart. It was so encouraging! I am also pretty excited to get to help with Vacation Bible School this summer at church! In fact, they want me to help with music. I am a little nervous to be singing in front of a huge group of people but hey....they are kids so they won't care if I am on pitch or not!
Second, becoming financially fit. This is going SO GOOD!!!! I have paid off one of my credit cards and will have another completely paid off in a week or two! This is so incredibly exciting I can't even tell you! I am being more cautious on where and how I am spending my money! I can tell it is making a difference because I got a target gift card for Valentine's Day and I don't even know how to spend it because I keep thinking "I don't really NEED anything." So I think I am just going to have to save that for a rainy day! :)
Now....this is where my big debate I was talking about earlier comes in. My third resolution....becoming physically fit! A couple weeks ago the thought came to my mind that I needed to make this year of losing weight the year that I actually DO IT! I need to be faithful to this and not give up! So what helps with that? ACCOUNTABILITY! And what better way to be held accountable then to post a before picture with my weight and measurements on this blog?! This is really hard for me because I don't even tell my best friend and family members these numbers but I figure if this blog is going to be about me and my life then I need to be 100% honest and these numbers are part of who I am. But not for long! So a couple weeks ago I took the picture, weighed myself and took my measurements. Then this week, a week after the initial weight in and measurement taking, I weighed and measured again. I think this has a win win affect because not only am I being held accountable, I also can be encouraged if I don't lose weight but do lose inches! So...here it is...the picture isn't pretty and definitely NOT flattering. And these numbers are not fun to look at but I hope to not see either one of these for much longer. Have a great week! I will be checking in again next week with new numbers!
|
|
Initial Weight
|
Bust (inches)
|
Waist (inches)
|
Hips (inches)
|
Right Thigh (inches)
|
Right Arm (inches)
|
|
Starting
|
244
|
45
|
40
|
51
|
32
|
15
|
|
Week 1
|
243.8
|
45
|
38.5
|
50
|
31
|
14.5
|
|
Difference
|
-0.2
|
0
|
-1.5
|
-1.0
|
-1.0
|
-0.5
|
Well here we go again. Another confessions post. This past week was a really rough week. Not diet wise...in fact, diet wise it went quite well. However, spiritually, it was tough! I knew the week was going to be hectic because I was asked to work everyday at my second job. That would have put me at working about 63-64 hours for the week between the two jobs. I was bracing myself for this when....Monday hit! And boy did it hit. At my PRN job, one person was on vacation, one called in sick, and one person was stuck in Chicago due to weather. That combined with schedule of over 200 patients equals one busy 4.5 hours. Then I got to the hospital and found out that we are getting raises! However, they are cutting our shift differential and our weekend differential. After doing the math it turns out that anyone that gets shift diff is actually taking a pay cut...even with the raise. :( This was a huge hit to the gut. This news right here is what I have been struggling a lot with lately. My Spirit says to be thankful for the job that I have and not complain because even though this stinks, the Lord is in control and is my provider, not me. But the fleshly side of me thinks this is a huge slap in the face. Especially because we have been working really shorthanded with a large workload and now instead of being recognized for our efforts, we are getting docked in pay. :(
I shared both of the feelings I have because I want you to see the battle that I am in right now. To be completely honest with you...I have allowed my fleshly thoughts to take over this week. It has taken over so much so that I have had a very poor attitude and outlook at work. I have grumbled to fellow coworkers, friends, and even family. So to be frank....I have been sinning. It wasn't until yesterday when the Lord completely opened my eyes and my ears to the things that were coming out of my mouth, that I realized how in the wrong I am. How is my poor attitude being a Light for Him? How is my complaining setting myself apart from unbelievers. Instead I should be rejoicing in this trial. James 1:2 says "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds." Am I having joy in this trial? No, instead I am throwing a pity party. What is wrong with me?! Romans 8:28 says "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose." Am I trusting that the Lord is using this for my good and His glory? No, no I'm not. Again I say, what is wrong with me?!
Today I was blessed with such a good conversation at church with a good friend of mine. We were talking about this situation and she encouraged me so much by saying "it's times like this that we have to remember who we are working for." DANG!!!! She got me on that one. Who am I working for? Am I working for my employer? No. Am I working for myself? No. Am I working for a paycheck? NO! I am working for the Lord. Everything I do should be for the Lord's glory. Not my own. So those times when I am feeling unappreciated, are not times to be sad and down and discontent. They are times that should be spent working that much harder to make sure that glory is not given to me, but to the Lord. When I am feeling unmotivated, that is the moment that I need to remember that I am not working for myself, but for the Lord. I was super convicted this morning just thinking about what kind of testimony I was this week at work. I know that it is going to be hard to be ok with this new change but, I know that with the Lord's help and with my mind set on Him, I can have a much better attitude that is more Christ like and less self-pitying. Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."
So there is my confession. I have been struggling with having a poor attitude lately and a discontent heart at work.
On the upside, I didn't end up having to work the 63 hours because I got the stomach flu for 2 of those days. Downside to the stomach flu....you feel like death. Upside to the stomach flu...lost 5 lbs!
Have a great week! Here's to a better attitude this week!
Also....here's a picture of one of my favorite things to brighten your day!
